


thinking of baby names by the turtleduck pond

by Oceantail



Series: Oceantail's ATLA fics [10]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Baby Names, F/M, Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Love, Soft Zuko (Avatar), Zuko thinks of baby names, and he comes up with izumi after The Fountain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25665844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oceantail/pseuds/Oceantail
Summary: Izumi means fountain.
Relationships: Izumi & Mai (Avatar), Izumi & Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Oceantail's ATLA fics [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805656
Comments: 9
Kudos: 95





	thinking of baby names by the turtleduck pond

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [this tumbr post](https://mcleanspipers.tumblr.com/post/625313963649957888/i-just-wanted-to-know-what-zukos-thought-process).

Zuko stared down at the several sheets of paper scattered across his desk, all filled front-to-back with name ideas, the legibility getting worse and worse the longer the list continued.

It was bad enough that he has spent the better part of the day creating the list, completely neglecting his actual paperwork and discretely scribbling down names during a mind-numbing meeting with some trade dignitaries, but he hadn’t even written down a single _good_ name idea.

He sighed and resisted the urge to slam his head into the table. Sadly, the last time he did that, he’d somehow managed to stab himself with his own crown.

He looked out the window at the sun, just above the edge of the horizon. It was almost dinnertime but he figured he had some time before he met up with Mai in the private dining room.

Gathering up his sheets of names, he headed out the door, nodding at the guard currently stationed. 

Rin bowed back, discreetly smirking at the bundle of paper in his hands, obviously not paperwork but a mess of scribbled baby names. 

“Fire Lady Mai specifically asked for you to return early,” Rin said, rising from her bow. 

Zuko smiled at the mention of Mai then frowned at her words,  “For what?"

Rin shrugged, twirling her staff in its place. “Something about discussing names for the princess.” 

Zuko's eyebrows shot up.

He and Mai had agreed to officially discuss names further along the pregnancy (which is why he was getting a jump start now, so he didn’t end up embarrassing himself in front of his wife when the time came). 

He squinted at Rin, “She didn’t actually give you a message, did she?"

Rin’s smirk broke into a wide grin. “Good luck with your list, My Lord!” She bowed again, but this time it seemed almost cheeky. 

Zuko scowled and rolled his eyes at her. “Thank you, Rin,” he sighed, moving past her and out into the halls. 

After a quick pit stop at the kitchens to pick up a loaf of bread, Zuko made his way to the royal gardens and dropped down beside the turtleneck pond.

At the sight of him, several baby turtleducks began paddling over, headed by their mother who kept a careful eye on her children as he tore off crumbs and tossed them into the water.

This mother was likely generations away from the mother turtleduck that bit his ankle for throwing bread at her children all those _years_ ago, but it was heartwarming to see that this mother loved her children just the same. 

A mother’s love. He loved that. 

Mai would be an amazing mother, he mused. She would be fiercely protective, her love unwavering and strong. Zuko was determined to do the same. 

Zuko stared down at the mother turtle duck and sighed before tossing her a piece of bread too. "I guess you don’t have to worry about names, do you,” he said.

The turtleduck tilted her head and quacked at him. He tossed her more crumbs.

When he loaf was gone, he looked up, gaze drifting past the pond and landing on the fountain.

The same fountain he had shoved Mai into, he chuckled internally. As Azula loved to still tease them about, even years later.

In fact, he thought, it was quite funny that after his banishment, he and Mai had met each other again in Ba Sing Se at a different fountain, thousands of miles away from Caldera City.

He leaned back against the tree and smiled wistfully, closing his eyes. He didn’t remember everything about that night, but he did remember Mai staring back at him in the light of the fountain candles and how despite the unease in his stomach from siding with Azula in the Crystal Catacombs, he still felt his heart flutter in his chest as he saw Mai’s cheeks blush red.

A cherished moment in the middle of a war.

Then, an idea hit him and he gasped, startling the turtleducks that had gathered around him in search of more food.

He opened his eyes to stare back at the fountain, the down at the now crumpled sheets of papers in his hand.

His eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face.

_Izumi_.


End file.
